52-year-old inmate passes matric
Abdullah Simelane, 52, was the oldest of the 235 inmates who wrote their matric in 2018 and passed with flying colours.
Simelane, who is serving a 23-year jail term for rape at Mpumalanga’s Barberton prison, said he hoped achieving his matric would open doors for him.
The father of two said he was sentenced in 2015. Being incarcerated had given him time to realise the value of education.
“If I [had] had an opportunity to study back then, I don’t think I would have committed this crime,” he said.
He dropped out of school as a teenager. “Things were really tough for me.
“My family could not afford to pay for my school fees and other things I needed, and I saw dropping out as the only thing,” he said.
Simelane said he hoped to get funding so that he could further his education.
His dream is to enrol for a degree in political science.
Inmates serving in South African correctional facilities scored a 77.3% matric pass rate for the 2018 academic year, which is two percentage points lower than the 79.42% national average.
The result is, however, an increase on last year’s 76.7% pass rate.
The department of correctional services said Simelane was one of the most notable matriculants from its centres as he had received a bachelor pass and was the oldest candidate.
“My results are good, but I expected to do way better than this,” Simelane said.
Four departmental schools at the Durban-Westville, Cradock, Baviaanspoort and Rustenburg correctional centres achieved a 100% pass rate.
“This is a third uninterrupted 100% pass for Usethubeni School in Durban-Westville.
“A total of 28 distinctions were recorded at the school,” the department said.
Simelane said: “I wouldn’t have done it without the support of the department.
“The officials encourage us to study so that we can come out of prison as better people.”
Justice and correctional services minister Michael Masutha said education was a critical component of rehabilitation and that his department would ensure that as many inmates as possible could access education. –